2014 Dayton Hamvention Drake Forum TR-8

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1 2014 Dayton Hamvention Drake Forum TR-8 M.V.G. May 2014

2 Drake Equipment's Legacy and Performance: Keeping Them Alive Is Fun! Agenda Recently Purchased Drake Linears: What to Check Before Power Is Applied, and After Technical Advances and Innovations Pioneered by Drake Performance Curves for Drake and Inrad Filters FREE prize drawing including Drake memorabilia Ask the Experts: Questions and Answers

3 Prize Donator Drake Forum Committee K9SQG Evan Rolek WB0IQK Mark Gilger W4WTO Bob Harman WA8SAJ Jeff Covelli WB4HFN Ron Baker W9DCQ Doug Ward M.V.G. May 2014

Resources Drake Technical Net: Sunday, 7238 kc @ 4:00 PM Eastern Drake & Antique Tube Gear Net:

4 Resources Drake Technical Net: Sunday, :00 PM Eastern Drake & Antique Tube Gear Net: Tue /- 8 pm Eastern Drake Family Affair Book by John Loughmiller, KB9AT M.V.G. May 2014

5 Recently Purchased Drake Linears: What to Check Before Power Is Applied, and After Evan, K9SQG M.V.G. May 2014

6 * Outside *RF Deck *Power Supply * Inside * RF Deck * Power Supply * Operational Checks * Static * Dynamic * Logging Findings M.V.G. May 2014

7 My Approach Using L4B as an Example Cosmetics Mechanical Electrical People have asked, "What should I do? Amplifiers serviced have had a wide range of issues. I know what I do; you probably have more or better ideas. M.V.G. May 2014

8 Safety is #1. Very familiar with high voltage, fragile vacuum tubes??? Now is NOT the time to be self-taught! A needed mentor...at all times! Wear safety glasses! * Glass shards, solder blobs, flying pieces of solid wire from diagonal cutters, etc. are not your friends! * You can chew with false teeth, walk with an artificial leg, but you can't see with an artificial eye! Resist the urge to "see if it plays"; rushing in can have disastrous consequences. Review available documentation: modifications, repairs, receipts, etc. Properly operating, the L4B is close to legal limit. But save the tubes... M.V.G. May 2014

10 External Cosmetics--General Things to Look for Dents (especially near plastic feet) Discoloration, soot Pits, cracks, rust Scrapes and gouges Worn cabinet screws Etc., etc., etc. Anything that hints of misuse, shipping damage, modifications, etc. M.V.G. May 2014

11 RF Deck front Mechanical zero for both meters Bandswitch force needed Pointer calibration for plate tuning, smoothness of vernier drive Pointer/knob calibration for load capacitor "Feel" of on/off and CW/SSB switches ALC pot/switch M.V.G. May 2014

13 RF Deck back Blower impeller moves freely, cracks near hub? Dirty pins, pits, arcs on Jones power connector Integrity of Millen HV connector Arcs, soot, corrosion on coax connectors M.V.G. May 2014

15 Power Supply external Integrity of Millen HV connector Exposed wires on Jones power plug, insulation cracks or scrapes Integrity of power plug for wall outlet, proper pin configuration, strain relief Deformed bottom near plastic feet M.V.G. May 2014

18 Power Supply--inside cosmetics & mechanical Loose parts, pieces of wire, screws and nuts, washers, signs of arcing, smoke residue, small solder blobs on chassis or other parts, etc. Non-original parts, parts with wrong values, etc. Discolored parts like resistors, signs of heating, etc. M.V.G. May 2014

19 RF Deck top Interlock Cracked insulators, missing screws, glued parts, etc. Switch contacts: output bandswitch, multimeter Plate RF choke Plate caps, parasitic chokes Chimneys Tube color Meter bulbs, replace them now? Oil the blower now? Meter calibration for grid current (adjustable) and plate voltage (wattmeter?) M.V.G. May 2014

22 RF Deck bottom Plenum gasket (on bottom cover) Interlock Wired for 220 or 110? Relay contacts Tube pins, sockets Grid grounding RF chokes, protection choke (output lead) Plastic clamps for input balun Power switch continuity Input bandswitch ALC pot taper (HV?) and standby switch M.V.G. May 2014

26 Power Supply top Venting electrolytics Diodes of marginal ratings Different styles of capacitors, diodes Fusible resistor (0.82 ohm) 50K 50 watt bleeders discolored, or open HV wiring integrity M.V.G. May 2014

30 Power Supply bottom Wired for 220 or 110? 5K 7 watt resistor for ALC circuit Circuit breakers or fuses?! M.V.G. May 2014

32 Electrical Checks static One hand on master power switch Assuming HV meter is calibrated Bring up slowly via Variac, monitor voltage AND current Take voltage readings in CW (~1800) and SSB (~2500) Ensure both tubes light Listen, watch (with safety glasses), smell M.V.G. May 2014

33 Electrical Checks dynamic Start with an adequately rated dummy load Measure plate voltage in standby, transmit with no drive, and full drive Monitor drive power continuously along with grid current, start low Ensure bandswitch and plate tuning are set for band of interest Tune up ~ per manual Input coil SWR, center of each band Measure input and output power on all bands M.V.G. May 2014

35 1 or 2 quick questions?

36 Drake Innovations - The Early Days In History & Troubleshooting Easy Fixes M.V.G. May 2014

37 In The Beginning The R.L. Drake Company started with building pass band filters in for the government during WW2. They were used for jamming and decoding radio transmissions. Bob Drake developed a good reputation around his products which led him to building his first receiver for the military. During the lean times Bob Drake built anything to keep his employees busy. This included making spring contacts for GE, coils and chokes for Delco Electric and table lamps for S.S Kresage. M.V.G. May 2014

38 The Drake Pass Band Filters, F-14/U and the F-15U were designed and built in 1943 and 1944.

The FIRST Drake built receiver was the BC-1255A for the military in 1944.

BC-1255A Signal Corps U.S. Army VHF monitor Manufactured by R.L.

39 The FIRST Drake built receiver was the BC-1255A for the military in Today it is considered the rarest of all radios manufactured by the Drake Company. BC-1255A Signal Corps U.S. Army VHF monitor Manufactured by R.L. DRAKE COMPANY tubes: 2 x VT-212 (858) - 1 x VT-172 (1S5) Frequency coverage: MHz battery Powered: Two 45 Volts and One1.5 Volt Dimensions: 6 x 6 x 6 M.V.G. May 2014

Bob Drake was first to introduce a new trend, in 1957, a receiver with a small foot print, light weight and

40 The first Drake receiver designed for Amateur Radio was the Model 1-A Around this time in history most receivers were big and heavy and mainly designed for AM reception. Bob Drake was first to introduce a new trend, in 1957, a receiver with a small foot print, light weight and designed to support the new and upcoming mode of communications called Single Sideband. The radio resembled a rural mail box and sold new for $ M.V.G. May 2014

Drake s First Transceiver The TR-3 Was Introduced in 1963 Bob Drake wanted a radio with both the receiver and transmitter in the same box and what if they could share some of the same circuits.

41 Drake s First Transceiver The TR-3 Was Introduced in 1963 Bob Drake wanted a radio with both the receiver and transmitter in the same box and what if they could share some of the same circuits. Bob Drake and Milt Sullivan, his Chief Engineer, set to work and the TR-3 emerged. The TR-3 became the hallmark of the company, robust and overdesigned, that happily married the engineer s goals with the user s dreams of the perfect radio. Even now, 47 years later, you can find the TR-3 still working. Finding one in a flea market or set aside for decades, chances are with a little TLC it will still work fine today. M.V.G. May 2014

all the HF ham bands with a 600Khz tuning range.

TR-3 s built had a chrome plated chassis, which is now

42 Drake s First Transceiver The TR-3 Was Introduced in 1963 The TR-3 had 20 tubes, generated 300 watts PEP, and covered all the HF ham bands with a 600Khz tuning range. Before going with the copper plated chassis the first five TR-3 s built had a chrome plated chassis, which is now considered the rarest of all Drake radios made for Amateur Radio. M.V.G. May 2014

Drake s First All Solid State Transceiver, The TR-7 in 1977 The development of the TR-7 transceiver was the first attempt of the Drake engineers, basically tube guys, switching to all solid state,

43 Drake s First All Solid State Transceiver, The TR-7 in 1977 The development of the TR-7 transceiver was the first attempt of the Drake engineers, basically tube guys, switching to all solid state, went through a lot of pain-taking trial and errors. Drake convinced a young engineer, Mike Elliott, to come to work for Drake to help with the TR-7 design. At that time Mike worked for Heathkit and was the designer of the Heathkit SB-104, the first all solid state transceiver ever built. Mike Elliott's engineering and design background was very instrumental it the design of the TR-7 radio. The most unusual design innovation of the TR-7 was the use of a very high IF frequency. Using Mhz IF frequency eliminated most the birdies, whistles and squawks that popped up on the tuning dials commonly found in most radios of that era.

44 Troubleshooting Hits and Kinks M.V.G. May 2014

The Drake L-4, L4-B, L-7 and L-75 Amplifiers The amplifier tube appears to be working normal, possibly with less power out than normal at first, but continues to get hotter and glows much brighter

45 The Drake L-4, L4-B, L-7 and L-75 Amplifiers The amplifier tube appears to be working normal, possibly with less power out than normal at first, but continues to get hotter and glows much brighter than the other tube the longer it is keyed. Finally draws to much current then, blows the circuit breaker and possibly arc s internally. What Is Happening???? At some point the tube high voltage arced from plate to grid which burns open the tube grid choke. The tube grid is no longer grounded causing the tube to go into thermal run-away. M.V.G. May 2014

The Drake L-4, L4-B, L-7 and L-75 Amplifiers The amplifier works fine, possibly with a little less power output than normal, but still draws current during standby.

46 The Drake L-4, L4-B, L-7 and L-75 Amplifiers The amplifier works fine, possibly with a little less power output than normal, but still draws current during standby. You checked the relay contacts and those are switching properly. What Is Happening???? M.V.G. May 2014 One of the final tubes has a filament to grid short. The grid being normally grounded is putting the filament/input circuit to ground causing both tubes to conduct during standby. You have a bad tube. Cost wise: OUCH!!!

Drake TR-4, TR-4C, TR-4CW, TR-4CW/RIT Transceivers The transceiver side tone operates normal in transmit mode, but you can still hear the side tone coming out the speaker during receive.

47 Drake TR-4, TR-4C, TR-4CW, TR-4CW/RIT Transceivers The transceiver side tone operates normal in transmit mode, but you can still hear the side tone coming out the speaker during receive. What Is Happening???? The OB2 regulator tube is bad, not regulating the 150VDC supply voltage. That excessive voltage is causing the tone oscillator to not full cut-off during the receive mode. M.V.G. May 2014

48 Drake R-4B Receiver The R4B calibrator does not work or has 60 cycle hum in the tone produced in the receiver. What Is Happening???? The 1000MF / 25VDC filter capacitor is open, not filtering the +12VDC supply voltage to the crystal calibrator. M.V.G. May 2014

49 Drake R-4B Receiver The R4B does not mute properly, S-Meter adjustment does not work or is significantly off or just pegged. What Is Happening???? The 10MF / 150VDC filter capacitor in the negative voltage supply is leaking or open. The is very little to no negative voltage being produced. M.V.G. May 2014

50 QUESTIONS??? M.V.G. May 2014

51 DRAKE 2014 FORUM

52 Sweeping I.F. L/C and Crystal Filters Using A Tracking Generator, Spectrum Analyzer & Audio Sweep Generator Jeff, WA8SAJ wa8saj@ncweb.com M.V.G. May 2014

53 Drake R-4B Receiver

54 R-4B Receiver Last 50 khz I.F.

55 50 khz Pass-Band Tuning

56 R-4B Sweeps 400 Hz 1.2 khz 2.4 khz

58 R-4B 2-Pole Crystal Filter

59 R-4B Sweep at 5645 khz

61 R-4C 50 khz I.F.

62 R-4C Crystal Filter 50 khz

63 L / C vs. Crystal in the Last I.F.

64 R-4C 4-Pole Roofing Crystal Filter

65 R-4C Roofing Filter

66 4-Pole Crystal 2-Pole Crystal Roofing Filter Roofing Filter M.V.G. May 2014

67 Drake TR-4CW / R.I.T. Filter Alignment

69 TR-4C Alignment of Matching Transformers T-6 & T-13 Before Sweep Alignment

70 TR-4C After Alignment Both Correct

71 LSB Before & After Alignment

72 USB Before & After Alignment

73 TR-4CW Stock 2.1 khz Wide SSB Crystal Filters vs. INRAD 2.5 khz Wide SSB Crystal Filters

74 TR-4 INRAD Filters

75 TR-4C Filter Comparison

76 Drake TR-7A

77 TR-7 Stock 2.1 khz Wide Filter vs. INRAD 2.8 khz Wide Filter M.V.G. May 2014

78 Stock 2.3 khz Filter Replaced by 2.8 khz Filter M.V.G. May 2014

79 INRAD Compared to Stock LSB

80 TR-7 Filters 2.3 Network Science, 2.3 Japan, 2.8 INRAD

81 TR-4C Filter Matching Using a Audio Sweep Generator and Spectrum Analyzer M.V.G. May 2014

83 Thank You For Watching M.V.G. May 2014

84 P r i z e Jeff Weinberg W8CQ HAMVENTION BOOTH 2208, 2209, 2010 & 2211 D o n a t o r M.V.G. May 2014

85 Prize Donator Donnie Garrett, WA9TGT M.V.G. May 2014

86 Prize Donator Ron Baker, WB4HFN M.V.G. May 2014

87 Prize Donator Mike Bryce, WB8VGE L4 Interface - L4R - AC4R M.V.G. May 2014 Flea Market Space #FW509-FW510

88 K4QU, John March Prize Donator HAMVENTION BOOTH 3421 M.V.G. May 2014

73CNC.COM Prize Donator NORTH HALL Space # 220 and # 221 A new weighted spinner knob designed for the Drake 4 Line Radios.

ne models. Weighted Spinner type VFO Knob for all R.L.

TR-7 TR-7A Transceivers These 3-500Z High Performance Plate Caps are precision machined from Billet 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum.

89 73CNC.COM Prize Donator NORTH HALL Space # 220 and # 221 A new weighted spinner knob designed for the Drake 4 Line Radios. Fits all 3 and 4 Line models. Weighted Spinner type VFO Knob for all R.L. Drake Radios including the: Drake: R-4, R-4A, R-4B, R-4C R-7, & R-7A Ham Receivers T-4X, T-4XB, T-4XC Transmitters, TR-3, TR-4, TR-5, TR-7 TR-7A Transceivers These 3-500Z High Performance Plate Caps are precision machined from Billet 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum. They are designed to maximize the heat dissipation from the plate (anode) pin and keep the Plate Pin Seal well below the maximum operating temperature specified by Eimac even under high duty cycle use. With over 3 times the surface area of the original Eimac plate cap and DIRECT contact with the Plate Pin generous amounts of heat are removed. M.V.G. May 2014

90 Prize Donator Sherwood Engineering M.V.G. May 2014

91 Prize Donator K4OAH Drake Parts Locator CD s M.V.G. May 2014

92 Prize Donator UKA-3 Universal Keying Adapter HAMVENTION INSIDE BOOTH BA482 MK- 1 Master Keyer Low Power Iambic Keyer Kit M.V.G. May 2014

93 Prize Donator HAMVENTION INSIDE BOOTH FW 2745 TO FW2749 M.V.G. May 2014

94 AC-4 Upgrade Rebuild kits for: AC3-AC4 1-A Receiver 2-A Receiver 2-B Receiver 2-C Receiver 2-NT Transmitter R-4 Receiver R-4A Receiver R-4B Receiver R-4C Receiver T-4/T4X/B/C Transmitter TR-3 Tranceiver TR-4 Tranceiver TR-4C Tranceiver TR-6 Tranceiver Flea Market Space #FW1737-FW1738 M.V.G. May 2014

95 Alan Phillips, KC9YS,

97 www. Radiolabworks.com

99 LA6OP, Sindre Torp: Drake Museum M.V.G. May 2014

100 K3HRN, Thom LaCosta:

101 Bob Magee, W7AWK

102 Other resources documented on WB4HFN.COM KC9YS - TR-4 Knobs and Inserts, Space # W2ENY - Drake Web Page Charlie Talbott TR-4 Main tuning knob inserts Allen Martin / W7APM Cabinet screws, w7apm@mtaonline.net M.V.G. May 2014

103 PRIZE DRAWING Goal was to make time for presentations. Tickets were pre-drawn in the presence of honest witnesses. Stubs handed out randomly as you entered. Only 1 prize per person. Please claim your prizes in the hall after we dismiss. The winning ticket numbers are... M.V.G. May 2014

104 Questions & Answers Evan, K9SQG Jeff, WA8SAJ Gary, W8PU Ron, WB4HFN Mark, WB0IQK M.V.G. May 2014

105 The Path Ahead

106

2016 Dayton Hamvention Drake Forum

2016 Dayton Hamvention Drake Forum M.V.G. May 2016 Drake Forum Committee Mark Gilger WB0IQK Ron Baker WB4HFN Evan Rolek K9SQG Jeff Covelli WA8SAJ Agenda Drake Trivia TR-7 Trouble Shooting. TR-7 X-Lock